Safety is a combination of training, education, preparation, planning, and execution. What you take with you in the field to keep yourself safe can be highly variable, and evolve over time. I’m always hauling a lot of extra gear, most of which is never used. But when something in the bottom of the bag is needed, I’m always happy I brought it.

Tip 1: Always at Hand.
While a first aid kit is at the top of the list, what is inside that kit can be highly variable. Time of year, length of activity, how many people, on land or water, are all questions to be answered. I once reached for the aid bag to bandage a blister and found that the Band Aids were so old the adhesive would not stick. The over-the-counter medications were long expired, and there were several things missing. Check your first aid kit several times a year, keep it maintained and up to date, and always have it with you. Add items that fit your changing needs – as I get older I’m finding out that on occasion I have more needs than ever before, like Dramamine, Naproxen, Imodium, or Benadryl.

Tip 2: Ready for the Worst.
If you are around guns, knives, chainsaws, or hatchets, there is the potential of a catastrophic injury, and you need to be prepared. Add to your basic kit a tourniquet – and learn how, and when, to use it properly. There are a number of commercially available tourniquets, including the windlass or ratchet, which uses a lever or mechanism to control the pressure, and the SWATT, which is basically a wide rubberized or elastic strap that can be stretched to provide pressure. It is absolutely essential to educate yourself not only on how to use them, but when.

Tip 3: Water, Water Everywhere …
I normally take plenty of water, but there have been a few times that I’ve run short, and been very, very thirsty. I’ve recently added a Rapid Pure water purifier bottle to my basic kit. It’s light and tough, and if I’m caught again without clean drinking water I’ve got an option. I’ve had it with me on trails in Alaska, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone, and on trails and in watercraft all across the Midwest. While I haven’t had an occasion to use it yet, there have been a number of times in the past while hunting, hiking, and boating where I would have killed for one of these.

Tip 4: Bad Blood.
It is easy to get a cut that is not life threatening, but where the bleeding is a problem to control. There are a number of commercial products (QuikClot, Celox, BloodStop) that help control bleeding; be sure to always have some available. Also be aware that many people take blood thinners (that includes a low-dose daily aspirin) in which case a minor cut may bleed for an extended time. Additionally, in my kit I have a zip-top bag with several thin menstrual pads sealed inside, which work very well with direct pressure to control bleeding. (I once tore out four inches of surgical staples in my belly, and when I got to the doctor she was happy to see the pad had both controlled the bleeding and kept the wound clean.)

Tip 5: Single-Handed.
I always have a good knife with me, and my new favorite good knife is something of a surprise for me – A Bear & Sons Bear OPS Automatic knife. The ability to open with one hand is very useful in emergency situations, and this knife is a true safety tool. It has a point to break out automobile glass, a seatbelt cutter, and a positive safety block to prevent opening when not intended. There are a number of high-quality automatic knives on the market now, and they are nothing like the ancient Hollywood image of a ‘switchblade.’ However, check your local laws; there are still cities and states where they are not legal, and if you are traveling be sure you won’t get into trouble by carrying this safety tool.

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